called by I AM

A reflection from the life of Moses: Exodus 2:23 to 4:17

Before Moses came along, God made a promise to Abraham. A promise to this old man and his barren wife that they would have a child. Unlikely for sure, but it happened when Abraham was very old. In that promise, God said Abraham would have many, many descendants.

Isaac was born. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. Abraham followed out those orders, even if it meant God’s promise would not be fulfilled. God stopped Abraham before he finished the act, and life went on.

Isaac had twins, Esau and Jacob. Jacob was a bit of a problem child. He tricked his brother and father into giving him things he didn’t deserve. Very important things. He lied and stole to get them. In the end, he had to go on the run. One thing Jacob has stolen from his older brother Esau was the blessing from his father, Isaac. A blessing intended for the oldest son. And now, even after receiving this gift, he was had to go on the run for his life. Jacob got everything he was after, but at the cost of his family and home. Now in exile, Jacob appears to be the end of the promise.

But God finds Jacob and makes the same promise: a land full of many descendants. A promise well on the way to coming true with his many sons.

And now, generations later we come to Moses.

Jacob’s many, many descendants are now living away from the land promised by God to them, and are living in slavery under the Egyptians. The people are in despair, crying out in pain from their suffering.

Meanwhile, Moses, born a Jew, adopted as a prince of Egypt, killed a soldier for the way a slave was treated, is on the run himself. Living as a shepherd, far from his people.

But God finds him. Just as God came to Jacob in a dream. God came to Moses in a burning bush. Moses was being asked to set the people free from slavery.